In May 2003, Kohut, who was then a deputy chief, was appointed by then Mayor Joseph Vas as director of the department. A year later Vas promoted Kohut to serve as chief as well as director.

Kohut became embroiled in controversy when, in a March 2005 training session, he suggested police needed to protect steel for a new municipal complex from theft, particularly by Mexicans.

Guadalupe Munoz, the department's only Mexican-American officer, filed suit, alleging harassment by Kohut and other ranking officers. A jury, after hearing the case in 2007, awarded Munoz $1.9 million.

A judge later reduced the award $300,000. Both the city and Munoz are appealing the decision.

Following the jury verdict, Munoz filed his second lawsuit, charging Perth Amboy Deputy Police Chief E.J. McDonald pressured a sergeant to change her testimony during the trial because it was too favorable to Munoz and that Kohut failed to investigate McDonald about the alleged pressure.

Earlier this year, Munoz amended his lawsuit to include a charge that Kohut retaliated after the trial by asking Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan to investigate whether Munoz committed perjury.

Kaplan has removed himself from the case and asked the state attorney general to decide whether it warrants further investigation.

Kohut grew up in Perth Amboy but later moved to Edison. He was promoted to director the same day that then Director Thomas Cetnar retired.

When Kohut was promoted to captain in 1995, Cetnar called him "one of the most capable people I ever met."